Universal reamer for oil-wells.



A. W. STUBBS & W. J. HOGUE.

UNWERSAL REAMER FOR 0H. WELLS.

APPLICATION man MAR. I5, 1918.

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ADDISON W. STUBBS, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, AND WILLIAM J. HOGUE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

UNIVERSAL REAMER FOR OIL-WELLS.

Application filed March 15, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ADDISON V. S'rr nns and VILLIAM J. HooUn, citizens of the United States, said ADDIsoN V. STUBBS residing at Kansas City, in the county of VVyandotte and State of Kansas, and said lVILLIAM J. HOGUE residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri. have invented a new and useful Universal Reamer for Oil-VVells, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to universal reamers for oil wells.

It is generally known that the interior of oil wells, or casings, become plugged by accumulations of paraflin, sand and other substances, so that unless the casing is reamed to destroy the solidity of the accumulated mass, the oil will be stopped from flowing into the well, whereupon the well is abandoned.

The object of our invention is to provide a cheap, durable and eflicient universal casing reamer which may be employed to enter the casing, regardless of diameter, and operate therein to' remove any obstruction which prevents the flow of oil.

We attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1, is a vertical elevation of our complete invention;

Fig. 2, is an end view of the lower portion of the reamer, and showing the taper reamer extension and the planers cooperating therewith;

Fig. 3, is a plan view of the spring metal spiral strips in normal flat condition;

Fig. 4, is a top View of the reamer extension;

Fig. 5, is avertical section of the reamer proper, the spiral spring metal strips being omitted. and

.Fig. 6, is an end View of the sleeve.

Similar numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The numeral 1, indicates a metal tube of suitable length and diameter. A cutter head 2, is mounted on the lower end portion of the tube, and is held in place by set screws 3, which pierce the head and impinge upon the tube. The head 2, is substantially cupshaped, the flange portion of the head being adapted to receive snugly the end portion of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1191s.

Serial No. 222,547.

the tube. The bottom portion of the head is formed with a round exterior, the central portion thereof being flattened, for a pur-' the bottom of the head and spaced apart at regular intervals, and they are elevated a suitable distance above the head to provide opportunity for the cutting edges of the planers to cut away substances in contact therewith, such as paraflin, asphaltum, sand and earth, which is generally found at the bottom of plugged oil wells. Openings or orifices 5, are apertured in the bottom of the head, between the planers, for the purpose of permitting the ingress and egress of water and fluids which are. usually encountered in oil wells. A square and tapering reamer 6, is mounted centrally in'the bottom of the head. by its square shank 7, being driven to a fit in the square opening 8, adaptedto receive the shank in such a manner that the corners. or cutting edges 9 of the reamer. 3, shall substantially register with the points of the planers 4. The function of the tapering reamer extension of the head is to penetrate the substance at the bottom of the oil well and, when the reamer proper is turned, to cut away the material. so that the planers shall cut away the top portion of the material at the time the tapering reamer extension is reducing the center of the mass. The point of the taper reamer is rounded to prevent breaking of its point when contacting solids. Diagonally extending slots 10, are apertured in the flange 11, of the head, at regular intervals about the same, in this instance, at points located at the quarters and halves of the circumference of the head, thus the slots at the quarters will register with each other, and likewise the slots on the halves will register. A plurality of orifices 12, are apertured in the flange of the head for the ingress and egress of water and fluids. A sleeve 13, is mounted on the upper portion of the tube 1, and is adapted to be slidable thereon for the purpose of adjusting the blades of the reamer to the interior of the casings of different diameter and to carry the ends of the blades. The sleeve is held in the desired place on the tube by means of set screws 14, which pierce the sleeve and impinge upon the tube. The portion of the tube outwardly of the sleeve is provided with external screw threads, as shown at 15, in

Figs. 1 and 5, and is adapted to receive the screw end of a tube, not shown, which is attached thereto to operate as a shaft for turning the reamer. Metal ribbons 16, preferably of spring steel, .of asuitable length are provided adjacent their ends with longitudinally extending slots 17, and are passed through the opposed slots 10, so that their slotted end portions shall be positioned on the sleeve. After passing through the slots 10, the ribbons are wound spirally, that is, the one end is wound spirally to the opposite side of the reamer and the end portion secured on the sleeve by pins 18, which are entered in the slots and penetrate the sleeve. All other ends of the ribbons are likewise wound and secured on the sleeve. The ribbons 16, being mounted in spiral formation and, being slidably secured onthe sleeve 13, are responsive to the slidable movement of the sleeve on the tube. If the sleeve is moved inwardly of the tube, the ribbons are bowed outwardly a greater distance, so that the movement of the sleeve in the reverse direction operates to effect an inward movement of the ribbons. This provision allows the reamer to be applied in the cleaning of casings of different diameters.

,To operate our invention tubes or pipes are attached to the screw end of the tube 1, and the reamer inserted in the casing. A suitable number of pipes are connected in series therewith to allow the reamer to reach the bottom of the casing. When the reamer is inserted in the casing, the sleeve 13 is adjusted on the tube 1, so that the ribbons 16, shall be bowed outwardly a suitable distance to effect a contact with the interior wall-of the casing. After the reamer is positioned at the bottom of the casing and in contact with the obstruction to be reduced, .water under pressure is admitted to the pipes formin the shaft of the reamer. The water flows rough the tube and reamer and is forced therefrom through the orifices 5 and 12 into the casing and against the obstruction, thereby effecting a softening of the substance, the watg rising in the casing and flowing out therefrom, at its top.

The reamer is then turned in either direction, by means of a cross-bar connected with the upper end of the pipes, not shown, either by hand power, or by any other suitable means.

l/Vhen the reamer is turned the tapering reamer extension of the reamer proper penetrates the obstructing matter centrally and gradually reduces the matter, thereby allowing the planers 4, to reduce the upper part of the substance, the residue of the matter ad hering to the wall of the casing being eugaged and reduced by the edges of the steel ribbons 16, which cut and scrape the matter from the casing. The forward progress of the reamer effects, with the spirally extending ribbons a screw motion, thereby efiecting a substantially erfect cleaning of the casing. It is obvious that the waste of the obstruction by the .reamer is immediately acted upon by the water under pressure escaping from the reamer andcarried thereby to the top of the casing and discharged therefrom.

The reamer is adapted to fit different diameters in casings without readjustment of the sleeve 13, since the ribbons 16, will yield to a suitable degree, because of the provision of the slots 17 in their terminal portions, which permit the ribbons to slide on their fasteners by pressure inwardly on the ribbons or by the reaction of the normal spring of the ribbons per se. While we show and describe the tapering reamer extension 6, as invested with four cutting edges and the ribbons 16, as flat, we understand that the former may be provide-:1 with more or less cutting edges and the latter may be twisted to present serrated edges, without departing from our invention or the scope of the appended claims. We preferably temper the metal comprising the head 2, planers 4, and tapering reamer extension 6, the latter being removably mounted, so that it might be sharpened.

Having described our invention what we claim is- 1. A universal reamer for oil wells, consisting of a tube, a perforated cup-shaped head demountably secured on the lower portion of said tube, the lower side of said head being provided with a plurality of radially extending V-shaped spaced apart planers and with a tapering reamer extension having its cutting edges registering "with the inner ends of the planers, a sleeve slidably secured on the upper portion of said tube, and a plurality of spring metal strips pier"- inn: said head and having their terminal portions slidably-secured on said sleeve, said strips being outwardly bowed and wound spirally about said tube.

2. In a universal reamer for oil wells, the

' combination with the tube having the demountably secured perforated cup-shaped head and the slidably secured sleeve, of the outwardly bowed spirally wound spring metal strips piercing the head and having their terminal portions slidably secured on the sleeve.

Kansas City, Missouri, March 11th, 1919.

ADDISON W. STUBBS. WILLIAM J. HOGUE. Witnesses:

JOHN C. STEARNS, FREDERICK E. SMALL. 

